Alignment Structure for Launch Monitor and Electronic System Including Same

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0077233, filed on Jun. 13, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The technical idea of the present disclosure relates to an alignment structure for a launch monitor and an electronic system including the same.

Golf is a sport that requires a precise technique to achieve the best results through the correct direction and impact of a club head. To help with this, golfers often use visual indicators to help guide their swing and the direction of the club head. For this purpose, launch monitors were developed. The launch monitors are devices that provide feedback to the golfer by tracking a path of the club head and a flight path of the ball in real time when hitting the ball.

However, existing alignment structures (for example, alignment sticks) have generally been used as tools to visually assist the path of the club head. Furthermore, the alignment stick may be used as a tool to indicate the direction the golfer is aiming for.

Since most existing alignment sticks, such as the alignment stick disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-2248980, were placed on the floor and used, the launch monitor could not accurately recognize the directions of the alignment stick, and a tilting error problem occurred due to recognizing a one-dimensional line. In addition, for outdoor launch monitors, it was inconvenient to additionally carry an alignment stick.

The present disclosure is directed to providing an alignment structure capable of standing up, thereby increasing user convenience. The present disclosure is also directed to increasing the accuracy of identification of an alignment structure by using a launch monitor.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an alignment structure including a connecting body, a head stick including a first head stick extending from the connecting body and a second head stick that is provided to be able to be supported from the ground by extending in a direction of the ground while being separated from the first head stick at a first angle, and a side stick configured to enable three-point support from the ground along with the second head stick.

Also, the head stick may include a detection line provided on a side surface of the head stick.

Furthermore, the detection line may include a first detection line provided on an inner side surface of the first head stick and a second detection line provided on an outer side surface of the second head stick.

Furthermore, the detection line may include an adhesive sheet that emits or reflects light so that a camera is able to easily identify the detection line.

Meanwhile, the second detection line may be provided on the second head stick to be spaced a predetermined margin distance apart from the ground.

Meanwhile, the connecting body may include a first connecting body and a second connecting body structurally connected to the first connecting body and capable of rotating at a first angle, and the first head stick may extend from the first connecting body and the second head stick may extend from the second connecting body.

Also, the first connecting body may include a ball plunger, and the second connecting body may include a plurality of ball plunger holes in which the ball plunger is able to be seated.

Meanwhile, the first connecting body may include a snap fit, and the second connecting body may include a sliding guide that is in contact with the snap fit to enable rotational motion.

Meanwhile, the side stick may be provided so that the side stick extends from the head stick and is configured to be folded and unfolded, and is able to be supported from the ground along with the second head stick.

Also, the side stick may include a first side stick and a second side stick, each of which includes a binding structure at one end to maintain a folded state.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an alignment structure including a connecting body including a first connecting body and a second connecting body structurally connected to the first connecting body and capable of rotating at a first angle, a head stick including a first head stick extending from the first connecting body and a second head stick extending from the second connecting body and provided to be separated from the first head stick at the first angle, and a side stick configured to enable three-point support from the ground along with the second head stick.

Also, the head stick may include a detection line provided on a side surface of the head stick.

Furthermore, the detection line may include a first detection line provided on an inner side surface of the first head stick and a second detection line provided on an outer side surface of the second head stick.

In addition, the detection line may include an adhesive sheet that emits or reflects light so that a camera is able to easily identify the detection line.

Meanwhile, the second detection line may be provided on the second head stick to be spaced a predetermined margin distance apart from the ground.

Meanwhile, the first connecting body may include a ball plunger, and the second connecting body may include a plurality of ball plunger holes in which the ball plunger is able to be seated.

Also, the first connecting body may include a snap fit, and the second connecting body may include a sliding guide that is in contact with the snap fit to enable rotational motion.

Meanwhile, the side stick may be provided so that the side stick extends from the head stick and is configured to be folded and unfolded, and is able to be supported from the ground along with the second head stick.

Also, the side stick may include a first side stick and a second side stick, each of which includes a binding structure at one end to maintain a folded state.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic system which includes an alignment structure including: an alignment structure that includes a connecting body, a head stick including a first head stick extending from the connecting body and a second head stick extending in a direction of the ground and provided to be supported from the ground while being separated from the first head stick at a first angle, wherein the first angle is an acute angle, and a side stick configured to enable three-point support from the ground along with the second head stick; and an electronic device that photographs the alignment structure and performs alignment operations based on the results of identifying a detection line included in the head stick.

Furthermore, the electronic device may determine a hitting direction based on a virtual line connecting an end of a first detection line provided on an inner side surface of the first head stick and an end of a second detection line provided on an outer side surface of the second head stick.

Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and may be modified and implemented in various forms. Therefore, the actual implemented form is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and the scope of this specification includes modifications, equivalents, or alternatives included in the technical idea described in the embodiments.

Although the terms first or second may be used to describe various components, these terms should be interpreted as only distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named the first component.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” can include any one of the items listed together with the corresponding phrase among those phrases or all possible combinations thereof. In this specification, it should be understood that terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. When describing with reference to the attached drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

is a view for describing an alignment structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to, an alignment structuremay include a connecting body, a head stick, a detection line, a rotation center body, a side stick, and a binding structure.

Here, the connecting bodymay include a first connecting bodyand a second connecting body, the head stickmay include a first head stickand a second head stick, the detection linemay include a first detection lineand a second detection line, the side stickmay include a first side stickand a second side stick, and the binding structuremay include a first binding structureand a second binding structure.

The alignment structureaccording to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be set up in a region where a golfer hits a ball (for example, a ready zone) by unfolding the second head stick, the first side stick, and the second side stickand having the connecting bodyface the golfer's hitting direction. At this time, the alignment structuremay be set up with the detection linefacing a launch monitor.

The connecting bodymay include the first connecting bodyand the second connecting bodythat are structurally coupled to each other, and the first connecting bodyand the second connecting bodymay have internal structures that enable them to rotate relative to each other. For example, the second connecting bodymay be rotated from the first connecting bodyat a first angle so that the alignment structuremay be changed from a folded state to a state in which it can be erected (ready state).

The first angle may be an acute angle. In other words, the first angle may be an angle less than 90 degrees. The first angle may include an angle between the first head stickand the second head stick. When viewed from the side, the alignment structuremay be observed to have a triangular shape as shown in, which will be described below. The alignment structuremay be intended to be self-supporting on the ground based on a three-point mounting method. Accordingly, the internal structure of the connecting bodymay be formed so that the first head stickand the second head stickare unfolded at an acute angle.

The first connecting bodyand the second connecting bodymay each have an appearance similar to a spherical shape (for example, a golf ball shape) divided in half. This can have the effect of increasing visibility for the golfer.

The first connecting bodyand the second connecting bodymay be provided so that the first head stickand the second head stickare connected to one sides thereof, respectively.

The first head stickand the second head stickmay be formed by extending from the first connecting bodyand the second connecting body, respectively.

The first head stickmay function as a backbone of the alignment structurein a ready state to support the load of the entire structure, and the second head stickmay be provided to support the alignment structurein the ready state from the ground. That is, the second head stickmay function as a leg that is supported by the ground along with the first side stickand the second side stick.

The first head stickmay be relatively longer than the second head stick. This is to form the detection line and detection region in a triangular shape, and because the second head stickis configured to support the front load of the alignment structure.

The detection linemay be provided on one side surface of the head stick. The detection line, although named as a ‘line’, may actually have a two-dimensional area recognizable by a sensing device (for example, a camera). For example, the detection linemay be implemented in a long rectangular shape.

The first detection linemay be provided on one side surface of the first head stick, and the second detection linemay be provided on the other side surface of the second head stick. For example, the first detection linemay be provided on an inner side surface of the first head stick, the second detection linemay be provided on an outer side surface of the second head stick, and the launch monitor may observe both the first detection lineand the second detection linewhen observing one side surface of the alignment structure.

The detection linemay include an adhesive sheet that emits or reflects light so that it can be easily identified by a sensor device (for example, a camera). For example, the first detection lineand the second detection linemay be implemented in the form of stickers having a reflection coefficient of a predetermined value or more, and the launch monitor may identify the detection lineof the alignment structure.

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment, the first detection lineand the second detection linemay be provided on an outer surface of the first head stickand an inner surface of the second head stick, respectively.

The first detection lineand the second detection linemay each include the same type of adhesive sheet, but may also each include different types of adhesive sheets. For example, adhesive sheets having different colors or different reflection coefficients may be included differently in the first detection lineand the second detection line, and the launch monitor may identify the first detection lineand the second detection lineas different detection lines.

The first detection linemay be provided internally at a predetermined offset in the area of the side surface of the first head stick. The second detection linemay be provided internally at a predetermined offset in the area of the side surface of the second head stickand may be provided spaced a predetermined margin distance DM apart from the ground. When the alignment structureis installed outdoors, this is to prevent an end of the second detection linefrom being covered by the length of grass, or to form the detection region close to a right triangle shape by having the end of the second detection lineand an end of the first detection lineconnected horizontally to each other.

The launch monitor may identify a virtual line SL by connecting the ends of the detection linesto each other. The launch monitor may determine a detection region by identifying the virtual line SL as a base, the second detection lineas a height, and the first detection lineas a hypotenuse. The launch monitor may store the detection linesand detection regions formed when the alignment structureis observed from the side without being tilted, and may calculate an offset angle between the launch monitor and a hitting direction by receiving changes in length or inclination of the detection linesobserved in the field and changes in the detection region.

The rotation center bodymay be included at the end of the first head stick. In other words, a first end of the first head stickmay include the first connecting body, and a second end thereof may include the rotation center body.